


In Which Phil Coulson's Recently-Healed Heart Does Things his Physical Therapist Would Probably Disapprove Of

by LinguisticJubilee



Series: Unexpected Surprises [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: #coulsonlives, M/M, Sappy Followup to (Already Sappy) Crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-13
Updated: 2012-12-13
Packaged: 2017-11-19 19:58:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/577075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinguisticJubilee/pseuds/LinguisticJubilee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil was kind of shocked at how smooth life seemed to be going. Not all of it went swimmingly, of course -- there was that part immediately after when the WSC was stalking the Avengers and <i>his husband thought he was dead</i> -- but it was almost winter now and, on the whole, things were pretty okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Which Phil Coulson's Recently-Healed Heart Does Things his Physical Therapist Would Probably Disapprove Of

Phil was kind of shocked at how smooth life seemed to be going after the Chitauri. Not all of it went swimmingly, of course -- there was that part immediately after when the WSC was stalking the Avengers and _his husband thought he was dead_ \-- but it was almost winter now and, on the whole, things were pretty okay. 

Phil couldn’t help but think that the peace was too good to last.

Of course, he didn’t expect its demise to come so swiftly and suddenly in the form of a life-size mechanical singing Santa. But he lived in a skyscraper with Captain America and his not-mind-controlled husband, so he supposed he should shut up about unexpected surprises.

***

“Psst.” A chocolate chip hit Phil’s head. He sighed, and focused on his year-end report. “Phil.” Another chip bounced off his ear. “Hey. Phil.” A slurry of chocolate chips rained down on his hair.

“Clint,” he said, looking up to see his husband grinning at him from the ceiling. He swore Stark built extra hidey holes in the tower just for Clint. “Though you might treat paperwork as extra targets, it is actually important that I get this done.”

Clint dropped to the floor and sat at the edge of Phil’s armchair. “Yeah, but can you do it later. It’s time to go shopping!”

Phil, Clint, and Natasha had a long tradition of going Christmas shopping together. Phil went to assuage his guilt about being an absentee uncle to his seven nieces; Natasha went to mock American consumerism and to help Phil pick out the best toys; and Clint went to hold up several items and say, very subtly, “Hey, you think this is cool, right?” because having a family to buy presents for was still kind of new to him and he didn't know how to go about it. 

Normally, Phil would brush off Clint’s enthusiasm, because he really did need to finish his year-end evaluation. But when he looked up, Clint’s eyes were suddenly very close, a deep blue Phil couldn't tear himself away from. Neither of them went into the events of last May expecting a Christmas post-Loki. Yet somehow, miraculously, Phil still got to have those stupid, gorgeous eyes shine at him every day. And that was rather more important than year-end reports, wasn't it?

“Yeah, okay,” Phil said absentmindedly, leaning in and resolutely ignoring the way his recently-healed heart fluttered in his chest. “We can do shopping.” 

“YEAH, BITCHES!” Tony Stark ran into the sitting room. Phil groaned and dropped his head against Clint’s shoulder. “Let's go. You and you. In the elevator. Shopping. Now." 

“Hi, Tony,” Clint said, “can you use full sentences, please?" 

Tony sighed. “We're going Christmas shopping. That's what you were talking about, shopping, right? Because if that was a creepy secret-agent euphemism, yeah, no, count me out, but if not, get in losers, we're going shopping.” Tony paused and looked at them expectantly. “Because Cap has a buttload of cash to blow since no one in the Army had the heart to ever remove him from the payrolls. And we all know it’s been a long-ass time since it was socially acceptable for Bruce to be in a crowded shopping mall. And I,” Tony cleared his throat, “I would really like to get Pepper something for Christmas she didn't pick out herself.” He smiled, but his eyes flicked with something unreadable. “So, Christmas shopping?”

Clint looked at Phil and gave him a small smile, and that definitely had to stop because Dr. Rob would not appreciate the way Phil's heart swelled at the sight. “Yeah, Tony. Christmas shopping sounds good.”

***

Of course, it was Christmas shopping with the Avengers, so what should have ended with a mess of wrapping paper finished with a spontaneous trip to the North Pole, but as Phil was receiving a bear hug from a Norse God who moonlights as Santa, he glanced over at his husband. Clint was stalking Tony in the hopes of shoving sub-zero snow down the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist’s down jacket. Phil felt his heart give another irrational flutter. This was his life now, and Phil wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
